Morning Briefing: Oct. 22, 2024

By Rabia Ali

ISTANBUL (AA) - Here’s a rundown of all the news you need to start your Tuesday with, including deadly Israeli airstrikes across Lebanon, UNRWA demanding Israel to allow access in Northern Gaza, and a border patrolling pact between India and China.

TOP STORIES

• Dozens killed in Israeli airstrikes on areas in southern, eastern Lebanon

At least four people were killed and 24 wounded in an Israeli airstrike late Monday near a hospital in Lebanon’s capital.

Earlier, at least 4 people, including children, were reported to be killed and others injured in a series of Israeli airstrikes on towns and areas in southern and eastern Lebanon.

Lebanon’s official National News Agency said Monday that an Israeli airstrike on the town of Merouaniyeh, southern Lebanon, left seven people killed and others injured.

Nearly 2,500 people have been killed and more than 11,500 others injured in Israeli attacks since last year, according to Lebanese health authorities.

• UNRWA urges Israel to allow access into northern Gaza for lifesaving rescue operations

The UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) on Monday called on Israeli authorities to allow its team to enter northern Gaza to carry out lifesaving rescue missions amid an ongoing Israeli deadly incursion that has lasted over two weeks.

In a statement, UNRWA said it reiterates an urgent demand by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) to Israeli authorities "to allow access in order to carry out lifesaving rescue operations in (northern) Gaza, including the recovery of people trapped under rubble."

UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini earlier on Monday said that Israel is prohibiting the entry of humanitarian aid into northern Gaza.

• India, China reach border patrolling pact in Ladakh: Senior Indian diplomat

India and China have reached an agreement on patrolling arrangements along the disputed border in Ladakh, according to a senior Indian Foreign Ministry official.

“Over the last several weeks, Indian and Chinese diplomats and military negotiators have been in close contact with each other, and as a result of these discussions, an agreement has been arrived at on patrolling arrangements along the LAC (Line of Actual Control) in the India-China border leading to the disengagements and a resolution of the issues that had arisen in 2020,” Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri told reporters in New Delhi.

He said there have been events that took place in 2020 in several areas along the LAC.

NEWS IN BRIEF

• US President Joe Biden is "deeply concerned" by the leak of classified documents detailing Israel's preparations for its avowed retaliatory strike on Iran, the White House said Monday.
  
  
• Gen. Luong Cuong was appointed on Monday as the new president of Vietnam, state media reported.
  
  
• Turkish intelligence has confirmed the death of FETO terror group's ringleader Fetullah Gulen, Türkiye's Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Monday.
  
  
• UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday "unequivocally" condemned the mass killing of civilians in northern Gaza amid a devastating Israeli onslaught in the Palestinian enclave.
  
  
• EU commissioners on Monday called on member states to "urgently" deliver the requested medical aid to Lebanon as the situation in the country requires "utmost urgency."
  
  
• US Vice President and Democratic candidate Kamala Harris warned Monday against the consequences if her Republican rival Donald Trump is elected president.
  
  
• US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and his Emirati counterpart Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan discussed ongoing efforts to deescalate regional tensions in a phone call Monday.
  
  
• Over five dozen US lawmakers called on US President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken Monday to push Israel into allowing international journalists to have "unimpeded" access to Gaza.
  
  
• The Somali Defense Ministry said on Monday that the army, backed by local and international partners, carried out military operations against the al-Shabaab militant group, killing over 95 terrorists.
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• The US State Department is investigating an Israeli military unit regarding the widely reported human rights violations, such as rape and torture, against Palestinian detainees at an Israeli detention center, according to a report on Monday.

SPORTS

• Liverpool stay on top of Premier League, PSG rise to Ligue 1 lead

Liverpool solidified their position at the top of the English Premier League table after defeating Chelsea 2-1 under the guidance of coach Arne Slot. This victory marks Liverpool’s seventh win in their first eight matches.

Other top teams across Europe, Barcelona in La Liga, Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga, Napoli in Serie A, and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in Ligue 1, all maintained leading positions in their respective leagues.

• Real Madrid search for morale-boosting win as Borussia Dortmund look to build on their momentum

Real Madrid will aim for a morale-boosting win against UEFA Champions League (UCL) leader Borussia Dortmund when they meet on Tuesday in a highly-anticipated match of the week.

The game will kick off at 1900GMT at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu, which has an over 80,000-strong crowd capacity.

BUSINESS & ECONOMY

• SAHA Expo: Türkiye's premier defense event kicks off on Tuesday

The SAHA Expo, a significant Turkish defense event organized by the Istanbul Defense and Aerospace Cluster Association (SAHA), is set to commence on Tuesday at the Istanbul Expo Center.

The event will showcase advanced defense products from Türkiye and 120 foreign countries.

A total of 1,478 firms, including 178 foreign buying delegates and 312 officials—25 of whom are ministers—are expected to participate in the five-day event.

• DNB Bank of Norway to buy Swiss asset manager Carnegie for $1.14B

The Norwegian DNB Bank has reached an agreement to acquire all shares of Swiss asset manager and financial adviser Carnegie for $1.14 billion.

The transaction is subject to regulatory approval and is anticipated to close in the first half of 2025, according to a press release from DNB Bank issued on Monday.

Carnegie Holding, the parent company of Carnegie Group, employs approximately 850 people and is recognized as a leading investment and asset management firm in the Nordics.